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Mine Very Common

Mine has 12 different meanings across 4 categories:

Noun · Verb · Pron · Det

Definitions
Noun
1

excavation in the earth from which ores and minerals are extracted

"The safety inspector ordered the mine to close immediately after detecting dangerous gas levels deep underground."

2

explosive device that explodes on contact; designed to destroy vehicles or ships or to kill or maim personnel

"The drone spotted a mine hidden in the shallow water and immediately aborted its approach to avoid triggering it."

3

An excavation from which ore or solid minerals are taken, especially one consisting of underground tunnels.

"The old family photograph, once faded and worn by time, now reveals a serene mine on her face that speaks volumes about her inner peace."

4

Alternative form of mien

In plain English: A mine is a large underground tunnel where people dig to get valuable minerals out of the ground.

"The gold mine will start producing next year."

Usage: Do not use "mine" as a noun to mean a person's demeanor or bearing; that is an archaic spelling of "mien." Instead, reserve "mine" as a noun strictly for underground excavations where minerals are extracted.

Verb
1

get from the earth by excavation

"mine ores and metals"

2

lay mines

"The Vietnamese mined Cambodia"

3

To remove (ore) from the ground.

"The old mine has been closed for decades after they finally exhausted all accessible ore."

In plain English: To mine means to dig up valuable things from underground or underwater.

"The dog dug in the dirt to find his buried bone, which was now mine."

Usage: Use "mine" as a verb when you want to extract valuable minerals or resources from the earth, often implying large-scale industrial activity. Avoid using it for personal possession, which requires the noun form.

Pron
1

My; belonging to me; that which belongs to me.

"When I look upon my creation, I see that it is truly mine."

2

Used predicatively.

3

Alternative letter-case form of mine often used when speaking as God or another important figure who is understood from context.

Det
1

My; belonging to me.

"She tried to take my jacket, but I told her firmly that it was mine and she could keep trying."

2

Used attributively after the noun it modifies.

"The mine shaft collapsed just past our entry point."

Example Sentences
"The gold mine will start producing next year." noun
"The old house at the end of the street is mine." noun
"I finally found my lost keys in my pocket so it's mine now." noun
"She claimed that specific painting was her favorite piece of art and called it hers." noun
"The dog dug in the dirt to find his buried bone, which was now mine." verb
See Also
coal gold belongs my hole ownership caterpillar brow
Related Terms
coal gold belongs my hole ownership caterpillar brow strip mine berry underhole sublevel payably madrier minesweeper premine stinkdamp cornish engine overmine grizzly
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
excavation explosive device exploit reinforce
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
coal mine copper mine goldmine salt mine silver mine strip mine sulphur mine floating mine land mine countermine

Origin

The word "mine" comes from Old English, where it originally meant "my." It traveled into modern English with the same meaning, evolving directly from earlier Germanic forms without a significant shift in definition.

Rhyming Words
ine sine vine line bine zine wine dine eine pine gine kine rine fine nine tine cine meine reine koine
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